Premium Essay

Why Price Fixing Should Remain Unlawful

In: Business and Management

Submitted By marnbert
Words 1131
Pages 5
In today’s economy it is generally said that supply and demand determine prices on goods and services. In order for this to be true the free market cannot be interfered with. The New York Times article, “Taiwan Company Fined $500 Million for Price-Fixing,” highlights some of the issues that can arise when it comes to price fixing. In this essay I will explain what the antitrust law says regarding price-fixing agreements, and what impact these regulations have on businesses. I will give my opinion on the law, discuss the arguments for and against it, and explain why I believe unlawful price fixing has to remain illegal. I argue that without a law against price fixing the free market will not be protected, having negative consequences on our society.
Many of the world’s largest LCD screen manufacturers, including Taiwanese company AU Optronics, were charged for violating the antitrust law regarding unlawful price fixing. AU Optronics was fined $500 million and its former president and executive vice president were sentenced to three years each in prison. Judge Susan Illston said that the three-year sentences were enough since “they acted not for personal gain but out of their belief that they were aiding a troubled industry plagued by overproduction and plummeting prices.” Au Optronics had together with seven other competitors been convicted of sending company executives to quarterly meetings from 2001 to 2006 to determine prices and production levels for their LCD screens. Documentation from these meetings was presented to the jury as evidence. Prosecutors claimed that the cost of LCD products had been artificially inflated, increasing cost for consumers around the world. American consumers took the worst hit as American companies accounted for one third of total LCD screen sales. AU Optronics played a vital role in what had a large impact on American consumers’

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Business Ethics

...13 14 Freedom in Enterprises……………………………………………… 13 15 Islam Tenets Concerning Business Transactions………………….. 14 16 Keenness to Earn Legitimate (Halal) Earnings…………………….. 14 17 Trade through Mutual Consent…………………………………….. 15 18 Truthfulness in Business Transactions……………………………... 16 19 Trustworthiness in Business Transactions…………………………. 16 20 Generosity and Leniency in Business Transactions………………... 17 21 Honoring and fulfilling Business Obligations………………………. 17 22 Fair Treatment of Workers…………………………………………. 18 23 Prohibited matters in Business Transactions……………………….. 18 24 Dealing in Prohibited (Haram) Items……………………………….. 18 25 Sale of Al-Gharar (Uncertainty, risk, speculation)………………..... 19 26 Arbitrarily Fixing the prices………………………………………..... 19 27 Hoarding of Foodstuff………………………………………………... 20 28 Cheating and Fraud in Business Transactions……………………... 20 29 Swearing……………………………………………………………… 20 30 Giving Short Measures………………………………………………. 21 31 Conclusions…………………………………………………………………… 21 ETHICS ` Ethics may be defined as...

Words: 9094 - Pages: 37

Premium Essay

Antitrust Law

...Antitrust law is the law of competition, and it is perhaps the least understood law of all. This article provides an overview and explanation of the essential principals of antitrust law, along with comments on certain recurring themes and recent developments in the voluminous case law by which the courts have struggled to give meaning and practical effect to the principal antitrust statutes. What Is Antitrust Law? Broadly speaking, antitrust laws seek to promote fair competition on the merits and to protect consumers and wronged competitor businesses from anti-competitive business practices — practices undertaken in effort to undermine competitive commercial behavior in a given market or line of commerce. The antitrust laws therefore forbid the wrongful acquisition or preservation of monopoly power, the abuse of monopoly power in order to establish a new monopoly, and concerted restraints of trade (i.e., business practices undertaken by two or more firms that improperly stifle or suppress “competition on the merits” in a given market). They also govern proposed mergers and acquisitions that are sufficiently large to constitute a threat to competition, and they address commercial practices that pose an arguable danger to competition on the merits in a properly defined antitrust market. The Principal Antitrust Offenses. Antitrust law is the law of competition. It is concerned with wrongs committed against competition on the merits in a given line of commerce or market. It is...

Words: 5498 - Pages: 22

Premium Essay

Paper

...Corpo 4th batch of cases (1) WESTERN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, INC. vs. SALAS Facts: Private respondents, majority and controlling members of the Board of Trustees of Western Institute of Technology, Inc. were acquitted of the crimes of estafa and falsification of public document. The falsification charge was anchored on private respondents submission of the school's income statement for fiscal year 1985-1986 with the Securities and Exchange Commission reflecting therein the disbursement of corporate funds for the compensation of private respondents based on Resolution No. 4, series of 1986, and making it appear that the Resolution was passed by the board on March 30, 1986, when in truth the same was actually passed on June 1, 1986, a date not covered by the corporation's fiscal year. The charge of estafa is based on private respondent's having disbursed funds of the corporation by effecting payment of their retroactive salaries of P186,470.00 and subsequently paying themselves every 15th and 30th of the month starting June 15, 1986 in the amount of P19,500.00 per month. After trial, the court acquitted the private respondents on both counts without imposing any civil liability against them. The individual petitioners, minority stockholders of the corporation, thus seek to hold the private respondents civilly liable despite their acquittal based on the alleged illegal issuance by private respondents of Resolution No. 4, series of 1986, ordering the disbursement of corporate...

Words: 5385 - Pages: 22

Premium Essay

Hrm Business Law

...Association, Inc., Charles Stempler, Katherine Lyons, Mark Lyons, Michael Park and Ronald Oh v. City of Seattle 7 Conclusion 10 References 11 Introduction One of the biggest issues that are going on today is should we raise the minimum wage? According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, “In 2011, 73.9 million American workers age 16 and over were paid at hourly rates, representing 59.1 percent of all wage and salary workers. Among those paid by the hour, 1.7 million earned exactly the prevailing Federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. About 2.2 million had wages below the minimum. Together, these 3.8 million workers with wages at or below the Federal minimum made up 5.2 percent of all hourly-paid workers” (Characteristics of Minimum Wage Workers In 2011, 2012). According to the data, there are very few people getting paid at or below the federal minimum wage. Yet, people are complaining that the current wages are not enough. With wages at the current state, people are still living in poverty. With the new Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2015 (H.R. 1010), the minimum wage will rise from $7.25 to $10.10. The debate is whether the increase in wage will either benefit everyone (employees and businesses) or will this increase have negative effects and create more issues instead of fixing them. Will we end up paying more to get less? Background Here is some history on H.R. 1010 or better known as the Fair Minimum Wage Act. “The federal minimum wage originated in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)...

Words: 2803 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Corruption Effect in Economics Development

...Economics Development Final Assignment Endemic Corruption Cases in Indonesia’s Economics Development [pic] International Undergraduate Program Poppy Puspita Rini 1006718624 Statement of Authorship I certify that the attached material is my original work. I declare that no other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement. Except where I have clearly stated that I have used some of material elsewhere, it has not been presented by me, for examination in any other course or unit at this or any other institution. I understand that the work submitted may be reproduced and/or communicated by the University or third party authorized by the University for the purpose of detecting plagiarism. Name : Poppy Puspita Rini Student Register Number : 1006718624 Depok, June 11 2013 Poppy Puspita Rini Introduction Corruption in Indonesia is widespread and costly. Recently, corruption cases become a major on-going economics development sector issue. Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (Indonesian: Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi) (abbreviated KPK) shows there has been a sharp increase in all enforcement activity, relating to the sector. Political organizations in economic sector continue to face significant corruption risks. How far the current corruption and bribery case in Indonesia’s economic development...

Words: 8080 - Pages: 33

Free Essay

Intellectual Property Rights

...§1 THE IPR AND COMPETITION LAW INTERFACE_____2 §2 TYPES OF RESTRAINTS_____3 §3 COMPETITION LAW REGULATION OF IPRs ACROSS JURSIDICTIONS_____4 §3.1 Europe_____4 §3.2 US_____4 §3.3 Other Jurisdictions_____5 §4 THE TRIPS AGREEMENT_____5 §4.1 Article 7_____6 §4.2 Article 8.2 _____7 §4.3 Article 40_____7 §4.4 Article 6_____10 §4.5 Article 31_____11 §5 WHAT STANCE SHOULD DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TAKE?_____12 §6 ADDRESSING THE IPR AND COMPETITION LAW INTERFACE IN INDIA_____14 §6.1 Through Domestic Legislation_____14 §6.2 At International Fora_____15 §7 ENDNOTES_____17 BIBLIOGRAPHY_____29 Primary Sources_____29 Secondary Sources_____32 1 §1 THE IPR AND COMPETITION LAW INTERFACE The simple hallmark of competition law is the protection of those principles and practices which enable the efficient functioning of markets.1 A natural concomitant to this objective is making certain that incumbent enterprises do not engage in anticompetitive practices to the detriment of the market.2 However, the application of competition law standards—in terms of practices that should be banned outright, viewed as potentially anticompetitive or should be investigated further—varies widely across jurisdictions.3 The interaction between intellectual property rights (IPRs) and competition law is predominantly created by the non-rivalrous and non-excludable nature of intellectual property, which causes the problem of “appropriability”.4 The creation of this prima facie “inherent tension”5 is due to IPR holders...

Words: 16676 - Pages: 67

Premium Essay

Health Law

...fraud or price-fixing. It is more than memorizing the penalties for particular violations, such as the number of years in prison one can receive for a class B felony or the fine for driving 50 miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone. It is more than trying to remember the names of court cases or the citations to statutes and regulations. Instead, law is a policy discipline and a social science. Moreover, the law is not cast in stone, but is subject to change. For hundreds or perhaps thousands of years, people have reconsidered and changed the rules that govern their activities. In a democratic society, we have the power to make further changes in the laws by which we live. Therefore, as students and scholars of law, we not only study the current state of the law, but also what we think the law should be. In particular, we consider how we can use the law to accomplish our goals of public policy. We begin this type of analysis by identifying a practical problem. For example, we may want to focus on discrimination, violence, environmental pollution, or inadequate access to healthcare services. Then, we try to figure out how to use the law and the legal system to solve that particular problem by creating a new law or by changing an existing law. “There Ought to Be a Law!” When we talk about reforming the healthcare system, we are really saying we should change the laws that regulate that system. For example, if we think health insurance companies should be required...

Words: 15289 - Pages: 62

Free Essay

Guide to Islamic Banking

...Meezan Bank’s Guide to Islamic Banking Meezan Bank’s Guide to Islamic Banking 1 Meezan Bank’s Guide to Islamic Banking Meezan Bank’s Guide to Islamic Banking Written by Dr. Muhammad Imran Ashraf Usmani Ph. D. Islamic Finance Assistance in translation, editing and compilation by Zeenat Zubairi DARUL-ISHAAT Urdu Bazar Karachi Ph: 021-2631861 2 Meezan Bank’s Guide to Islamic Banking Copyright Regd. No. Publications Rights Reserved with DARUL - ISHAAT KARACHI FIRST EDITION 2002 PRINTED AT ILMI GRAPHICS PUBLISHER DARUL - ISHAAT URDU BAZAR KARACHI-1 PAKISTAN. E-mail : ishaat@digicom.net.pk Ph: 021-2631861 AVAILABLE AT IDARATUL MA’ARIF, DARUL ULOOM, KORANGI, KARACHI DISTRIBUTOR IN U.K. AZHAR ACADEMY LTD., at continenta (London) Ltd.. Cooks Road, London E-15 2pw This copy cannot be sold in the U.K., unless sold by or authorised by the 3 Meezan Bank’s Guide to Islamic Banking TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface 7 SECTION I INTRODUCTION TO ISLAMIC ECONOMIC SYSTEM 1 2 3 Chapter 1: Chapter 2: Chapter 3: The Islamic Economic System Factors of production in Islam The objectives of the distribution of wealth in Islam 11 19 29 SECTION II RIBA, ITS PROHIBITION & CLASSIFICATIONS 4 5 6 7 8 Chapter 4: Chapter 5: Chapter 6: Chapter 7: Chapter 8: Riba in the Qur'an Riba in Hadith Riba and its types Commercial interest and usury Simple and compound interest 34 36 42 53 62 SECTION III ISLAMIC CONTRACT 9 10 11 12 Chapter 9: Chapter 10: Chapter...

Words: 55893 - Pages: 224

Premium Essay

Business Law Paper

...31 10. Contract…………………………………………………………………………… 32 2     1. Executive summary This paper will study a contract, common in business law; but more specifically, this report will analyze a credit card agreement from CIBC Visa. In studying this contract, it will show what a contract is and the legal framework that it implies. In studying the clauses of this contract, one will familiarize oneself with the legal terms and jargon that all contracts consist of. In explaining these clauses, one might be able to divide them into twelve main principles that a contracting agreement should consist of. This paper will then analyze the clauses and any potential flaws or problems, and later suggest changes that should be applied. These can be considerable change, for instance, adding or removing clauses or can be simply a small change, such as changing a few words in a clause or fixing a spelling error. This report will then move on to challenge the legal reasoning of the contract and finally explain the legal corrective measures that are identified at the end of this paper. All of these things will be tied into the general foundation of business law and how they all...

Words: 6856 - Pages: 28

Premium Essay

The Fine Print: the Hidden Agreement

...……………………………………………………………………….. 31 10. Contract…………………………………………………………………………… 32 1. Executive summary This paper will study a contract, common in business law; but more specifically, this report will analyze a credit card agreement from CIBC Visa. In studying this contract, it will show what a contract is and the legal framework that it implies. In studying the clauses of this contract, one will familiarize oneself with the legal terms and jargon that all contracts consist of. In explaining these clauses, one might be able to divide them into twelve main principles that a contracting agreement should consist of. This paper will then analyze the clauses and any potential flaws or problems, and later suggest changes that should be applied. These can be considerable change, for instance, adding or removing clauses or can be simply a small change, such as changing a few words in a clause or fixing a spelling error. This report will then move on to challenge the legal reasoning of the contract and finally explain the legal corrective measures that are identified at the end of this paper. All of these things will be tied into the general foundation of business law and how they all connect. 2. Introduction This paper is designed to explain a typical credit card agreement; first, it will explain all clauses...

Words: 6831 - Pages: 28

Premium Essay

Islamic Finance

...Working Capital 37 PU 39 42 43 pçãÉ=lÄàÉÅíáçåë=çå=jìëÜ~ê~â~Ü=cáå~åÅáåÖ= Risk of Loss Dishonesty Secrecy of the Business Clients’ Unwillingness to Share Profits House Financing on the Basis of Diminishing Musharakah Diminishing Musharakah for Carrying Business of Services Diminishing Musharakah in Trade RO aáãáåáëÜáåÖ=jìëÜ~ê~â~Ü= 52 54 55 56 RT 59 63 63 Murabahah fåíêçÇìÅíáçå= Some Basic Rules of Sale Bai’ Mu’ajjal (Sale on Deferred Payment Basis) 65 SR 66 70 jìê~Ä~Ü~Ü= pçãÉ=fëëìÉë=fåîçäîÉÇ=áå=jìê~Ä~Ü~Ü= Murabahah as a Mode of Financing Basic Features of Murabahah Financing Different Pricing for Cash and Credit Sales The Use of Interest-Rate as Benchmark Promise to Purchase Securities against Murabahah Price Guaranteeing the Murabahah Penalty of Default No Roll Over in Murabahah Rebate on Earlier Payment Calculation of Cost in Murabahah Subject Matter of Murabahah Rescheduling of Payments in Murabahah...

Words: 61209 - Pages: 245

Premium Essay

Siemens - Business Ethics

...Introduction of the company: Siemens has been active in Pakistan since the country’s birth in 1947, and holds leading positions in its Industry, Energy and Healthcare Sectors. Siemens IT Solutions and Services operates across all three Sectors. Siemens is the country’s Number One supplier of high-voltage grid stations, switchgear products and systems, power distribution and power transformers, and network consultancy. The company has also built a new 220-kV power transformer factory, and is poised to meet the demand in this sector nationally and in the region. Siemens' overall involvement in the region dates back almost 140 years. The company's name first became known through the construction of the Indo-European telegraph line from London to Calcutta in 1870. Siemens' first office in what is now Pakistan opened in 1922. The Siemens Pakistan Engineering Company Ltd. was founded in 1953 as a private company, and in 1963 the company was reorganized as a public limited company. Introduction and purpose: This Code of conduct (Ethics) of Siemens Pakistan Engineering Co. Ltd. ("the Company") helps in maintaining and following the standards of business conduct of the Company. The purpose of the Code is to deter wrong-doing, promote ethical conduct in the Company and ensure compliance with the legal requirements, the matters covered in this Code are of the utmost importance to the Company, its stakeholders and business partners. Further, these are essential so that the Company can...

Words: 7790 - Pages: 32

Premium Essay

Construction Law

... There is a statutory formal building permit application. The law authorizes the building permit applications to be submitted in electronic form. The building department that accepts service permits in electronic form must provide access to the permit application through internet access in searchable way. A permit may not be issued for any building construction, erection, alteration modification, repair or addition unless the applicant for such permit complies with the requirements for the plan review status within the for the building code However the code shall set standards and criteria to authorize preliminary construction before completion of all building plans review, including but not limited to special foundations It is unlawful for any person to construct, erect, alter, repair, secure without first obtaining a permit. The issuing authority is also empowered to revoke any permit upon the determination by the authority of the construction alteration, repair, securing, or demolition of the building for which the permit was issued is in violation of the building code...

Words: 9315 - Pages: 38

Premium Essay

Marketing Ch 3

...68 3 LEARNING OBJECTIVES After reading this chapter you should be able to: LO1 Scanning the Marketing Environment WEB 2.0 IS ALL ABOUT YOU! The Web is changing at an extraordinary pace and each new change provides more customization and convenience for you. If you use Myspace. com, Del.icio.us, Secondlife, or any one of hundreds of new products on the Web you are already part of the new world of the Web! Not long ago the Web simply provided a modern channel for traditional businesses. Music led the way with file-sharing services such as Napster and eventually online stores such as iTunes. The entire entertainment industry followed by offering books, movies, television, radio, and photography on the Web. The digital revolution allowed all of these businesses to benefit from the technical aspects of the Web. Now the term Web 2.0 is used to describe the changes in the World Wide Web that reflect the growing interest in collaboration, open sharing of information, and customer control. Many products and services such as podcasts, weblogs, videologs, social networking, bookmarking, wikis, folksonomy, and RSS feeds are already available, and many more are in development. As the focus moves from providing a new channel for existing businesses to empowering individual consumers with customized products, suddenly the Web is all about you! You can create your own video and post it on YouTube, sell your photos on iStockphoto, build a social networking site on Ning, and publish...

Words: 12727 - Pages: 51

Premium Essay

Forever: de Beers and U.S. Antitrust Law

...9-700-082 DEBORA SPAR Forever: De Beers and U.S. Antitrust Law Educational material supplied by The Case Centre Copyright encoded A76HM-JUJ9K-PJMN9I Order reference F267708 CoursePack code C-788-275379-STU “As a worldwide dealer in enchanting illusions, Disney has nothing on De Beers.” - The Economist1 In 1999, a series of spectacular advertisements adorned the bus-sides and billboards of major American cities. Set against a lush black background, the ads displayed a perfect set of diamond earrings, or a single sparkling solitaire. The lettering, in white, was sparse and to the point: “What better time to celebrate the timelessness of love?” they asked. Or, “What are you waiting for, the year 3000?” Some were even more direct: “This wouldn't exactly be the year,” they noted, “to give her a toaster oven.” Coyly, the ads captured a joint fascination with the new millennium and the enduring allure of diamonds. How better to capture time than with a diamond, they urged. How better to herald eternal love? Indeed. According to analysts, U.S. diamond sales (30% of which occurred during the Christmas season) were expected to surge by more than 10%, hitting a high of over $20 billion for 1999.2 A significant portion of this windfall would flow to De Beers, one of the world’s most successful corporations and the controlling force of the international diamond market. There were many ironies behind De Beers’s millennial campaign, not least of which was that diamonds...

Words: 13029 - Pages: 53